soft

Friday, August 10, 2012

Alleged iPhone 5 battery photos reveal bump in capacity

A leaked photo purportedly of the upcoming iPhone's battery shows a slightly higher capacity and voltage, which could help power the built-in 4G LTE.

(Credit: Apple)
Buyers of the next iPhone may get a bit more juice out of the battery.
An image of the new battery sent to and posted by blog site 9to5Mac shows a capacity of 1440 mAh, a bit higher than the 1430 mAh on the iPhone 4S and the 1420 mAh on the iPhone 4, according to iPhone repair shop iFixYouri.
The battery's voltage has also received a small kick, jumping to 3.8 from the 3.7 on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. And the boost in capacity has led to a boost in watts-per-hour, measuring 5.45 wHr, up from 5.3 wHr on the iPhone 4s and 5.25 wHr on the iPhone 4, 9to5Mac added. The new battery itself is also larger than its previous counterparts.
The capacity and voltage increases are relatively small, and Apple typically bumps up the numbers with each new phone to handle more demanding processors and other hardware. This year's model may also offer a larger 4-inch screen, another potential drain on the battery. But the company may have something else up its sleeve this year to warrant the changes.
The iPhone has been dinged in the past for its quick battery discharge, an issue that Apple tried to address with each new tweak to iOS 5. So the new battery may deliver a bit more life from the get-go.
The extra juice could also play a role in powering the 4G LTE that reportedly will be part of the new iPhone. The higher speed technology is a known battery hog, leading to battery drain issues on several existing 4G phones. Apple resisted jumping onto the 4G bandwagon in the past, seeing the technology as still a work in progress. Since then, the company has outfitted its latest iPad with 4G LTE.
Apple has apparently been able to implement LTE in a way that doesn't chew up as much battery life, Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said earlier this year.
"Our industry checks indicate Apple has made notable progress in improving battery life that has plagued competitors," the analyst said in March. "This is due to Apple's ownership of core intellectual property including systems design, semiconductors, battery chemistry, and software."

Tiltpod Mobile adds an iPhone tripod to your keychain

This clever-looking $15 gizmo lets you set up your iPhone for rock-steady, hands-free photography.

The Photojojo Tiltpod Mobile.(Credit: Photojojo)
Your iPhone comes packing a pretty decent camera, but there's no camera on the planet that doesn't benefit from the stability of a tripod.
Just one problem: Tripods tend to be long, large, unwieldy accessories, not the kind of the things you can just slip into your pocket.
Until now. Photojojo's Tiltpod Mobile puts an iPhone tripod on your keychain.
If the name sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the original Tiltpod, which combined a magnetic tripod-mount screw head with a small base designed to be worn on your wrist. It was built for small point-and-shoot cameras.
The Tiltpod Mobile is intended for the iPhone 4 and 4S, replacing that screw head with a slotted holster that's just the right size for those handsets (as long as they're not in a case, that is). The magnetic ball-head mount remains, allowing you plenty of room to tilt and pivot the phone. And the "grippy" rubber base promises to hug any kind of surface.
Photojojo sells the gizmo for $15, plus $2.50 for shipping. It's currently listed as out of stock, but you can order one with the promise of shipping on Monday, August 13 (which is not much of a wait at all).
Obviously it would be nice if the Tiltpod Mobile was a bit more universal, or even if it could somehow accommodate an iPhone in a case. That said, it's arguably the single easiest way to pack a tripod, and therefore worth a look.
While we're on the subject, be sure to check out the Canopy Kapok and Kungl iPhone cases, both of which add a screw mount to your phone for pairing with more traditional tripods.

The new Pitfall is great fun, but it's not the game you remember

Pitfall is a classic many gamers will remember from the 1980s. But in this fast-paced remake, you're going to need to stay on your toes to stay alive as long as possible.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)
Most of the time I put together an iOS app collection of the week, but on the momentous occasion of classic console game Pitfall's 30th anniversary (was it really 1982?), I'm going to take a deeper dive into the completely remade game.
Many old-school gamers will remember Pitfall, a must-have on the Atari 2600, in which you would run and jump over obstacles and use your whip to swing across chasms.
The new version of the game still requires your best hand-eye coordination, but now it is completely 3D and offers a different experience with much more to discover.
If you were ever a classic-console-game fanatic or like escape games like Temple Run, you should check out my review of Pitfall.

Atari classic Pitfall reborn for iOS

Pitfall Harry returns in this lively "free runner," which is both an excellent homage to the original and a fun spin on the genre.

The new Pitfall for iOS offers some great variations on the Temple Run theme.(Credit: Activision)
At the risk of dating myself, I'm old enough to remember Pitfall, the iconic 1982 Atari game of running, jumping, and swinging. Old enough, in fact, to have owned an Atari 2600 and a Pitfall cartridge.
Perhaps it was inevitable that the game would get a modern makeover, and so today brings us Activision's Pitfall for iOS.
Yep, Pitfall Harry is back, and looking mighty snazzy after his evolution from the 8-bit universe. The game is a free runner in the style of the massively popular Temple Run, and before you groan, "Not another runner game!", I have two important points to mention.
First, the new Pitfall is all about running, jumping, and swinging -- just like the original. Granted, old Harry wasn't constantly in motion the way new Harry is, but I think the endless runner style is a perfect match for the Pitfall universe.
Second, this is not merely Temple Run with Harry in the driver's -- er, runner's -- seat. Although the mechanics are more or less the same -- keep running for as long as you can, avoiding obstacles along the way -- the game employs multiple camera angles to keep things interesting. At any given time you might be looking at a side view, an angled rear view, or a straight-on rear view. The camera shifts fluidly as you progress from one area to the next, which I found a great improvement on Temple Run's singular format.
Pitfall also adds a bit of combat to the mix, as you can crack Harry's whip at oncoming snakes and scorpions. That happens with a simple tap anywhere on the screen, while tilting your iDevice shifts him left or right to collect the gold and silver bars that appear along his path.
Speaking of booty, the new Pitfall incorporates a store where you can exchange it for power-ups, upgrades, and even new outfits. Don't have enough in-game cash? You can use the real thing (via in-app purchase) to buy extra diamonds.
Perhaps best of all, Pitfall uses checkpoints to help you overcome that dreaded feeling of having to start all the way back at the beginning after a particularly good run. They're tough to reach, but at least they help you make some actual progress in the game. Otherwise, it's far too easy to just give up.
A universal app, Pitfall costs 99 cents -- well worth it for fans of the original, of Temple Run, or of endless runners in general.
Looking for another twist on the genre? Check out Lionsgate's free Hunger Games: Girl on Fire, which hews more closely to Web classic Canabalt. And be sure to shout out your favorite free runners in the comments.

New hints of possible iOS 6 feature tweaks

We already know the big new features in iOS 6, but several leaked changes have turned up on rumor sites providing more alleged details.

(Credit: CNET)
With the release of iOS 6 highly likely in September (concurrent with the expected iPhone 5 announcement), the rumors around unannounced feature changes at tech sites are reaching an all-time high, so I decided to round up some of the big ones here. We already know about the main features in iOS 6 Apple announced at WWDC in June, but this list is more about leaked info that other sites are talking about. Obviously, we can't know for sure if any of these will be true at launch, but it's always fun to talk about what might be in store for iPhone users once iOS 6 is released.
iOS 6 Rumors

No more waiting for the site that never loads.(Credit: MacRumors)
Wi-Fi Plus Cellular
MacRumors reports that Apple has added a new toggle in iOS 6 that will let you set your iPhone to automatically switch to cellular data when your usual Wi-Fi connection is not working.
If true, this is an excellent addition to iOS 6 because it's annoying when you launch Safari or other Internet-connected apps only to gradually realize that you have no Internet connection. With this switch turned on, your iPhone or iPad will automatically recognize the problem and switch to a cellular data stream to continue the operation at hand.

(Credit: Bluetooth SIG)
Bluetooth data sharing
As previously reported at 9to5Mac, Apple has relaxed privacy settings for Bluetooth to allow data sharing among apps. We don't know much more than that, but theoretically this could make features like Passbook require almost no action whatsoever during ticket and event transactions. It could also be used for sharing data among iOS apps, such as multiplayer games.
This has been available on other smartphones for ages, and if it comes to fruition, it's about time it worked on the iPhone as well. I don't see there being much of an impact (this is not a killer feature, by any means), but it's something that iOS devices need.
iOS 6 Rumors

The screen on the left shows five rows of apps compared with four rows of apps on current iPhones.(Credit: 9to5mac)
Five-row home screens
Another 9to5Mac story is related to a more widely known assumption that the new iPhone will have a larger display. Apparently, in some leaked photos of alleged parts for the new iPhone, the new version appears to have a taller screen (while the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the hardware remain the same). The taller screen shown in the photos would push the new iPhone display resolution to 640x1,136 pixels, making it very close to a 16:9 ratio -- perfect for viewing full-screen movies natively.
The other advantage of a taller display, according to 9to5Mac, is that Apple could then show five rows of app icons on the home screen rather than just four. Aside from cutting down on multiple pages on your home screen, it would allow developers to take advantage of more screen real estate in their apps.
This rumor will certainly have an impact (how long have we wished for a larger screen?) with both being able to run 16:9 movies in full screen natively and saving a little room. If true, this will be one of the better interface improvements in iOS 6.
iOS 6 Rumors

According to the rumor, you'll only need to enter your ID for paid apps.(Credit: Cult of Mac)
No Apple ID when the app is free
Anyone who has downloaded an app from the App Store is very familiar with punching in an Apple ID before the download begins. It can even get a little annoying when you have to do it every time (when your iPhone has gone to sleep and you wake it up again).
Cult of Mac reports that you won't have to enter your Apple ID when downloading a free app; the same will be true for updates and apps you have previously purchased. However, this will supposedly not be true for paid apps -- those will still require a sign-in.
This particular rumor is not life-changing, but it certainly gets rid of what I think is a common annoyance. I suppose it would be possible for your friend (or kid) to download several free apps without your permission, but you can always delete them, and for the convenience it seems like a wise move that will save time.
iOS 6 Rumors

This screen shows the App Store button at the bottom, but what is it for?(Credit: MacRumors)
Passbook gets App Store access
Another rumor from MacRumors says that Apple has added a button at the bottom of the interface for the new Passbook app that will take you to the App Store. While it's not clear what this means, they assume that Apple will add a new section for apps with Passbook integration at the iTunes App Store.
I'm not sure if I agree with their assessment, but I also can't think of other uses for the App Store button. It seems like if the button was meant to take you to Passbook-integrated apps, it would say something like "More Passbook Apps" or something more descriptive. Like everything else in this list, we'll have to wait and see what happens when iOS 6 is released.
Check out our rumor roundup for the iPhone 5 -- from the likely to the crazy -- that we've heard so far in 2011 and 2012.

Why a longer iPhone 5 screen needs to happen

If rumors are to be believed, the next iPhone's due for a screen-size shakeup. Here are two good reasons why.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

For months, we've heard talk of an iPhone 5 with a longer screen. The latest stories around the Internet suggest not only that this is a likely reality, but that iOS 6 supports this new resolution: 640x1,136 pixels, to be exact. That's an extra 176 pixels longer than the current iPhone's 640x960 display.

When I heard of the next iPhone's longer screen, I thought: I'd just prefer a slightly bigger screen, not necessarily a longer one. My current iPhone 4S feels like it has a perfect aspect ratio. Why change it?

Then I thought about it, and quickly changed my tune.

A longer screen may sound strange, but it's a very good thing, for two obvious reasons.

HD video
The existing iPhone screen is a tweener: its aspect ratio doesn't fall into the laptop-standard 16:9 category, nor does it match the 4:3 aspect ratio of the iPad. It makes sense that the iPad's not 16:9 because books, PDFs, and digital magazines fit the 4:3 ratio better. The rumored screen of the next iPhone would be 16:9.

Video, however -- especially HD video -- works well with a 16:9 screen. Most Android phones are already 16:9. Apple's own 1080p video camera shoots in 16:9, and the video gets letterboxed or suffers slight digital zoom on the iPhone 4S.

1080p video recorded on the iPhone 4S camera is currently either letterboxed, or zoomed in slightly to fit the screen.

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

A longer screen means less letterboxing, both for self-recorded videos and most TV shows and movies. Sure, some older shows aren't 16:9, while some movies have wider 21:9 aspect ratios. Those will be the outliers. The average piece of video content will fill the screen more, and make the next iPhone's viewing area seem that much larger as a result.

The iPhone (above) is letterboxed; the Android phone below is far less so.

(Credit: Joseph Kaminski/CNET)

For comparison, look at a 16:9 4-inch Android phone screen, which is what the next iPhone's screen size will purportedly resemble.

Games and virtual buttons
There's another, perhaps bigger reason for a longer screen. I sometimes forget how cramped the iPhone's screen can be for games. Unless a game has particularly good button-free controls, you're stuck with big semitransparent icons hogging the display. Your thumbs go there and start cramping the game screen.

Super Crate Box on the iPhone: Like many iOS games, it has superimposed virtual buttons.

(Credit: Screenshot by Scott Stein/CNET)

It's part of the reason why many iPhone gamers long for physical buttons, and why devices like the iCade Mobile exist.

Buttons on the sides with the iCade Mobile: the right spirit, but not the right solution.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

How about another solution: what if buttons were shifted to margins on the sides? Existing games could be framed by side bars, and extra controls pushed away from the center of the screen. iOS 6 reportedly supports up to five rows of standard iPhone App icons, as opposed to four on every other iPhone. That added space means extra added virtual buttons...not just for games, but for all sorts of apps.

If the new iPhone can support more onscreen app icons, it can support more onscreen buttons.

(Credit: 9to5Mac.com)

App icons measure 114 pixels wide on the Retina Display, but many virtual buttons in games are smaller than that. With a seemingly insignificant 176 pixels of extra width -- 88 pixels to a side -- you could fit a virtual button or two, especially oriented vertically, with ease.

The more those virtual buttons get shifted away, the more space gets cleared up for maps, browser windows, or unobstructed graphics.

In vertical portrait mode, it could mean more than just another row of apps; it could lead to an added row of controls on the bottom, possibly adding a whole new dimension to operational ease on the next iPhone (hot buttons for settings, shortcuts, and even dashboard information). I've envied Android phones for the type of added home-screen controls that an elongated iPhone screen could offer. That's not in the cards for iOS 6 (unless Apple's keeping a big surprise in store), but it could be worked into future versions of iOS more easily with the added vertical real estate.

Extra room for virtual controls, plus added room for letterbox-reduced video: would these be enough to help make the next iPhone a home run?

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

2013 Honda Fit EV first drive: The efficiency expert

With its 118 mpge, the Honda Fit EV is the most efficient car ever tested by the EPA. Better yet, it is easy and enjoyable to drive.

(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

Driving a blue Honda Fit EV down El Segundo Blvd. in Los Angeles, I began to feel a bit guilty. To my left stretched a massive complex, a big stretch of beachfront property devoted to a Chevron oil refinery. As the Fit EV whispered by this facility, which Wikipedia told me later was founded in 1911 and gave the town of El Segundo its name, I thought of all the oil workers the little electric car I was driving would put out of a job.

Lacking a gas tank and exhaust pipes, this Fit EV would never need to sully itself at one of the many gas stations I passed on this drive through Los Angeles, except maybe to top off the air in the tires.

The Fit EV represents one of the new breed of electric cars, which current battery technology is making more practical for daily use. And in my drive I found the Fit EV the best of the bunch.

Click here to read the rest of the 2013 Honda Fit EV first drive.